<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html charset=windows-1252"></head><body style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div>Brilliant Deirdre -- thanks </div><div><br></div><div>(from a physical meeting of global small island experts (ISISA) in the Penghu Archipelago offshore Taiwan.</div><div><br></div><div>Bruce</div><br><div><div>On Sep 22, 2014, at 9:35 PM, Deirdre Williams <<a href="mailto:williams.deirdre@gmail.com">williams.deirdre@gmail.com</a>> wrote:</div><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><blockquote type="cite"><div dir="ltr"><p style="margin-bottom:0in">I agree completely with Anriette and
with Daniel in their concern over funding. However, it is not only
funding (lack of) that can get in the way of participation,
particularly at the physical level. People have lives, and those
lives are often full already of jobs, children, dependent relatives,
the type of minor ill-health that makes travelling a problem, –
even houses and pets, and the intimidation of joining a group where
few may speak your language. This “life baggage”, the list is
only of random examples, encumbers at the virtual level as well, but
to a lesser extent.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in">In taking this perspective which
prioritises physical meetings we may be missing something of great
importance. When we speak about this “new democratic model”
powered by the Internet we are talking about the empowerment that
comes from VIRTUAL participation, where anyone with access can join
the debate from anywhere. That is why access must remain at the top
of the priority list, until the majority who lack this empowerment
also share it.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in">Meanwhile we must be careful not to
allow the empowerment to be dissipated by favouring the physical over
the virtual. This is a point that I made at the BestBits meeting in
Istanbul. We need to practise what we preach. Are we concerned about
those who attend meetings virtually as “civil society”? No –
because anyone with access who wishes may attend. Do we attend
meetings when only a “virtual” option is open to us? …</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in">The “other side” in the debate that
we are engaged in has the arrangement of meetings down to a fine art.
Meetings are how their world is run. Physical meetings that is, or
meetings run to a “physical meeting” format. They are not
comfortable with the apparent chaos when anyone can speak. The
“physical” environment is much easier to control and manage. It
is their environment after all.</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in">So why do we allow ourselves to be
herded and manipulated into their space to discuss our issues?</p><p style="margin-bottom:0in">Deirdre</p></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On 22 September 2014 08:24, Daniel Pimienta <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:pimienta@funredes.org" target="_blank">pimienta@funredes.org</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex">
<div>
<blockquote type="cite"><font size="4">But Best Bits
should also make sure to have some strong names from 'developing'
countries. Also, keep in mind that people nominated from developed
countries would need to have access to funding to attend meetings of the
MAG. Support for MAG meetings is not easy to get and is generally
only available for people from developing countries. In my time on the
MAG from 2012 to 2014 I think I only received UN support to attend a MAG
meeting on 2 occasions and on one of those the funding did not include
airfare.</font></blockquote>+1000<br><br>
What Anriette exposes is a fundamental issue of true democratic
participation in global context and her experience is a crude testimony
of what is really happening behind the nice discourses.<br><br>
I would say it is not only an issue for Best Bits, it should be a key
issue for all and every IGF and ICANN mechanisms of participation as for
any global multiskakeholder attempt to reach some form of justice... and
BTW, the actual global economic crisis makes this issue still more acute
as many (bi or multilateral) support funding have been fading away.<br>
Transparency of the flow of support and the associated criteria of
selection is also an important part of this issue.<br><br>
And to react and connect 2 independant threads in the same mail:<br><br>
<blockquote type="cite">speaking of PrepComs reminds me
that they need a Chairman. I have no hesitation in stating that Adama
Samassekou is the best suited for this job. </blockquote>Indeed
Jean-Louis, Adama would be the perfect choice... and he is deeply aware
of the first issue.<span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><br>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="border-collapse: separate; font-variant: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; border-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-decorations-in-effect: none; -webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; "><div style="word-wrap: break-word; -webkit-nbsp-mode: space; -webkit-line-break: after-white-space; "><div><font face="Calibri" color="#0433ff"><b>Bruce </b></font></div><div><font face="Calibri" color="#0433ff"><b><a href="mailto:bpotter@irf.org">bpotter@irf.org</a></b></font></div><div style="color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-family: Cambria; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; font-style: normal; "><br></div></div></span><br class="Apple-interchange-newline"><br class="Apple-interchange-newline">
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